It is at least a 2000-year-old tradition in many provinces in China to cure and preserve meat in wintertime. Pigs were slaughtered after the ‘Light Snowfall’-date (around Nov 22nd/23rd), when the temperatures were plummeting, and this meat had to be…

In Southern Africa, fungus-growing termites, which build enclosed mounds without visible ventilation holes belong to the genera macrotermes. These macrotermes mounds can be up to 6 meters high above ground. The tip nearly always leans slightly over and the termite…

Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) are colloquially called just crocodiles or ‘crocs’ in the following. They occur in Southern- and Eastern African regions and along the Atlantic coastline in Central Africa. They eat any animal they can get a hold of…

A very common fishing technique in Vietnam is ripping a weighted hook with multiple side arms through still water and hoping to hook unsuspecting fish somewhere on their body. Hooking a fish at the lips with the correct size and…

Trapping fish in bamboo traps in Southeast Asia is normally a static affair. These fishing traps will be used in still waters with or without bait inside and checked at least once daily. It was a new experience, to see…

Cashew trees (Anacardium occidentale) are native to areas around Northeastern Brazil. Portuguese colonists brought them around 1560 to Goa, India, from where they spread to Southeast Asia and finally Africa. Therefore, cashew products already have a long history in Goa…

The Ayutthaya Historical Park covers the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya, which was founded already in 850 AD by the Khmer and named after the Hindu holy city of Ajodhya. It was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767…

Cormorant fishing is an ancient fishing art that dates back at least 1300 years. Today, it is only practiced in the southwestern provinces of China. However, some fishermen are attempting to revive this fishing technique for tourists in water villages…

Thai chanterelles, or more specifically Cantharellus minor live in symbiosis with Gurjun trees (Dipterocarpus tuberculatus) in semi-deciduous Southeast-Asian forests. These trees are easy to identify due to their double-winged (di-ptero) fruits with big seeds. Besides Cantharellus minor, other species of…

Two German geologists, Dr. Henno Martin, and Dr. Herman Korn, went at the beginning of WW2 in 1940 for 2,5 years into hiding around the Kuiseb Canyon area, Namibia, to avoid internment by the South-African Union government. During that time,…

Marula season in Southern Africa is normally in February each year. When Marulas (Sclerocarya birrea) are getting ripe, they turn from green to yellow and fall from the female Marula trees. On the ground, they are ripening up fully and…

We were on a weeklong trail through the Kaeng Krachan rainforest, near Hua Hin in Thailand, when we tasted Gaur meat. Together with two National Park (NP) rangers, we came across a freshly died Gaur heifer. This Gaur (Bos gaurus)…

Natal Mahogany (Trichilia emetica) trees have got a dense canopy of dark green, glossy leaves, and a round outer shape of the tree silhouette. They preferably grow in moist places and riparian forests along drainage lines. Natal Mahogany is easy…

The Buffalo thorn tree (Ziziphus mucronata) is called in Afrikaans “Blinkblaar-wag-‘n-bietjie” for its shiny leaves and two thorns, which hold people back when getting caught by them. The shrub or tree has got distinctive zigzag branchlets with pairs of two…

Rumen fluid is a greenish-colored liquid substance with an aromatic and slightly sour smell. This fluid is uniformly distributed in the rumen of antelopes and is mixed with grazing or browsing roughage as well as fermentation gases and bioactive organisms….

Terry Longhurst said, “Bundle baskets are what we use with young people when fire lighting, using a bundle prevents them getting burnt, it also helps if they have special needs.” Such a fire bundle basket is chicken wire, which was…

Originally, Stone Age- and Bronze Age man in Europe created fire by striking flintstone on marcasite and catching resulting sparks on tinder made from horseshoe fungi. Marcasite is crystallized pyrite (iron sulfate mineral) and is not readily available but has…

Friction fire hand drills are normally not the first choice for fire lighting in the Northern Hemisphere, as it is regarded as a strenuous technique, especially in cold and humid environments. Dave Watson proved under overcast Northern Wales weather conditions,…

The approach of friction fire lighting with bow drills in the UK is slightly different from other countries. In the following, these differences will be explained. Materials and shapes of the various bow drill elements Hearth board of the bow…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in the UK, Gordon Dedman presented the bow drilling technique he is teaching in Australia. It is assumed that readers know the basics of bow drill friction fire lighting and I therefore will only…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in the UK, Gordon Dedman presented the hand drill friction fire lighting method he is teaching in Australia. As most readers of this topic will know the basic techniques of hand drill friction fire…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in the UK, Gordon Dedman presented a variety of types of Australian friction-fire wood, which are well suited for friction-fire lighting methods and tinder. The signature friction-fire method, which was exclusively used for many…

The Southern Cross, or the Constellation of Crux, – as the name implies – is just visible in the Southern Hemisphere. It consists of the Cross itself and the two pointers, which are Alpha-(Rigil Kent) and Beta-Centauri (Hadar). Finding direction…

Finding the Pole Star with the Constellation of Ursa Major Only in the Northern Hemisphere, the Pole Star is visible, and its location is mainly indicated by the position of the two pointers of the Great Bear (also called the…

The Constellation of Scorpius (‘Scorpio’) is a very large constellation, which is visible from May to November in the evening sky of the Southern Hemisphere. It is located directly opposite the Constellation of Orion – and therefore being visible when…

In Southern Africa, there are fourteen species of Bushwillows, which belong to the Combretum family. Other trees of the same Combretum family are Clusterleaf species, but also Leadwood and some others. Interestingly enough, not all Combretum species are suitable for…

The Greenthorn tree (Balanites maughamii) is easily recognizable in Southern Africa due to its triangular, fluted, or buttressed trunk. Its spines are green like its twigs and often forked. It is very spiny and hard to climb. It mainly grows…

The Double-banded Sandgrouse (Pterocles bicinctus) is commonly and colloquially called by its abbreviation ‘DBSG’ in Southern Africa. Its main distribution area is the savanna biome, especially Mopani Bushveld. There are three more species of sandgrouses in Southern Africa, all of…

The Constellation of Orion, or ‘The Hunter’ can be best viewed in the evening skies from November to February. During that time, it holds for both the Northern- and Southern hemispheres. Although Orion is still visible in the night sky…

Fish longer than about 20 cm and not having a snake-like shape, are typically spit-roasted in Thailand. As seen in the photos below, these are mainly Pla Dabian (Barbonymus gonionotus), Pla Chon (Channa striata), and Pla Sawai (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) but…

Grill spit for small fish outdoor cooking on a spit Smaller fish of up to about 20 cm in length are typically put on to a grill spit, which is just a split stick. Often in Thailand, this will be…

In Thailand, two types of freshwater snails are commonly consumed. The first group is comprised of the larger Apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata), while the other group is simply referred to as Freshwater snails (Sinotaia sp. & Filopaludina sp.). Both of…

Edible jellyfish (Aurelia sp.) is called ‘Maeng krapun jarn’ (Gulf of Siam) or ‘Lodchong’ (Andaman Sea) in Thailand. Normally there are about three months a year, where these jellyfish for food preferable appear. During this jellyfish run, sea fishermen earn…

Squid is a main source of income for many fishermen in villages around the Gulf of Thailand. Because fish are becoming increasingly rare, whereas Cephalodoans maintain their population. Only certain types of finfish are sold profitably, and the rest are…

The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus), called Pla Lai in Thailand, is used as a food source and also for offerings to the spirit deities. When still slim and young, eels are sold to the Buddhist local population for doing…

Simple crab snare for use on a tropical beach A crab snare comes normally in the shape of a bait cage with about six snares around. This set-up is used in combination with either a fishing line and rod or…

Freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium lanchesteri), also called ‘Ricefield shrimps’ or ‘Goong foi’ in the Thai language, live in every permanent water body in Thailand in big numbers. They are the main food source for a variety of fish and other predators,…

Small lift net for catching daily meals of freshwater prawns and fish ‘Yor lek’ is a hand lifting net, and means in Thai language something like ‘small lift net’. ‘Yor’ means ‘lift net’ and ‘lek’ means ‘small’. Its big brothers…

Description of cast nets used in Thailand Cast nets in Thailand are available in different radii models – I prefer such with a radius of 3,5 meters. 3,5 meters from the center of the net to the outer axial rim…

There is a variety of small catfish species with dangerous spines living in Thai waters. One, a very abundant one, is locally called Pla Kod (Hemibagrus wyckioides); English common name: Asian Redtail Catfish; Thai name: ปลากด. The typical length for…

Most Thai water channels, khlongs, and streams are clogged with a variety of water plants, predominantly Common Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). This invasive species was introduced in 1901 by Thai Royalty from Indonesia and was supposed to be eradicated by…

Hand nets, equipment, and technique For hand net fishing, mosquito netting is used to sieve water bodies for rice fields shrimps, and fish fry in Thailand. In order not to lose caught animals, the netting was brought into a deep,…

Learning the craft of bamboo fish trap weaving The correct English wording for a ‘Lop’ in the Thai language would be ‘Horizontal cylinder trap with entry cone’. It is used for catching a variety of freshwater fish and crustaceans, including…

The term ‘Bank line’ used in English to refer to a string of poles along a water bank is virtually unknown in Southeast Asia. Instead, this fishing method and its equipment are referred to by different names in the region….

A new home for over 100 different fishing traps and implements After leaving Thailand for an assignment in China it was difficult to find the right place for my fish trap collection. Originally, I wanted to open up some kind…

A mudflat full of razor clams ‘Don Hoi Lot’ is a mudflat in the Thai Province of Samut Songkhram with a size of about 15 km2 (about 9 square miles). ‘Don’ means ‘mudflat’ in English. ‘Hoi’ means ‘clam’ and ‘Hoi…

Nipa palms (Nypa fruticans) are a species of palms especially adapted to muddy environments of slow-moving tidal waters and mangrove forests and occur in Asia-Pacific tropical climates. And Nipa palm fruits are delicious to eat. Both, fruits, and wooden parts…

In Thailand live a variety of mudskipper species, notably Giant mudskippers (Periophthalmodon schlosseri), Blue-spotted mudskippers (Boleophthalmus boddarti), and others. All of them are amphibious fish, that live on muddy estuary- and tidal brackish river zones all around Asia-Pacific. They live…

Swamp morning glory or Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) has a variety of common names, like ‘Kangkong’ in Southeast Asia or ‘Kung Shin Tsai’ in China. It is a staple vegetable food throughout Asia-Pacific. And it is very low in calories…

The fruit Durian (Durio zibethinus) is named after the Malay word ‘Duri’ for ‘Thorn’, referring to the thorny skin, and ‘zibethinus’ obviously refers to its smell. And the most sought-after variety in Malaysia is ‘Musang King’, where ‘Musang’ means ‘Palm…

In many areas on the biggest Cambodian lake, its tributary river and Mekong flood plains, permanent bamboo fence fish traps, or more appropriately named: catching structures, are erected and operated. The leader fence, guiding fish into the inner compartments of…

Grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp.) and grass tree stalks are endemic to Australia. They are locally called ‘Black Boys’ due to their appearance after bushfires. They need a certain number of regular fires for their survival and are well protected against…

The common name ‘Spinifex grass’ is not fully correct as a botanical term for discussed grasses, as commonly named ‘Spinifex’ grasses belong to the genus ‘Triodia’, whereas the genus ‘Spinifex’ itself contains mainly coastal grasses. Whatever it is, the common…

Description of Goannas The Australian sand monitor (Varanus gouldii) is also called Gould’s monitor or colloquially ‘Goanna’. There are two different subspecies: Varanus gouldii gouldii and Varanus gouldii flavirufus (which is a smaller-sized subspecies). V. gouldii gouldii is distributed nearly…

In the former article,g I described seeing a majestic sand monitor lizard very close by on my drive from Menzies to Sandstone on a side road. Driving further on I was surprised to see many more Goannas left and right…

Although they are commonly referred to as “Ant hills,” particularly in Australia, the structures in question are actually “Termite hills.” Despite their physical similarities to ants, termites are related to cockroaches rather than ants. However, like ants, they are small…

Danger of buffaloes is overrated The ‘Cape buffalo’ (Syncerus caffer caffer) as a subspecies of the ‘African buffalo’ (Syncerus caffer) is the typical buffaloes species of the Southern African savannah biome. The denomination of ‘African Black Death’ was coined by…

The general behavior of lions African Lions (Panthera leo) are sometimes overrated in their danger for people hiking in Big-5 game areas. Lion behavior is such that they normally sleep and rest for 20 hours a day just to replenish…

Musth is a condition of elevated testosterone levels in the blood of elephants. African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls come into their first musth when they are between 15 – 17 years old. The length of the musth depends on the…

Purslane (Portulacaria Afra), or ‘spekboom’ in the Afrikaans language, is a succulent plant, endemic to South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. It has light-green soft leaves and red-colored stems. The leaves can be eaten raw, as pickles, chutney, or jam, or…

Aposematic coloration The ‘Elegant Grasshopper’ (Zonocerus elegans) occurs commonly throughout Southern Africa and is mentioned due to its aposematic coloration, which is typical for animals that want to announce that they are poisonous. And he is a poisonous grasshopper. In…

Elephants are a kind of dung-producing machines African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the wild are foraging about 150 – 180 kg of plant material per day. And they also drink about 350 liters of water. Consequently, they excrete every day…

Many National Parks, Private Game Reserves, and Game Farms in Southern Africa are under heavy pressure of snares for poaching. Not only poaching for rhino horn, but also indiscriminate poaching for meat. Rhino horn poaching is mainly organized by internationally…

Where to dig One of the most important techniques for finding drinkable water in Southern African natural environments is digging for water in areas that are holding water underground. These water-holding structures can be situated next to an open water…

The type of wood for fire hand drills changed over time Fire starting by friction hand drill was traditionally common by Khoi-san (Ju//hoansi) people in their area of distribution, which was once over the whole of Southern Africa and got…

The energy received by the earth from the sun is called the Solar Constant, which describes the effect that every 1 m2 of planet earth, facing the sun rays in a 90-degree angle (directly overhead) will receive 1375 Watts (Joules/sec)….